Matching 2 different model Canon DSLRs

Hi:

I recently bought the t4i as a 2nd camera in video production. When shooting, I've come across an issue in matching the looks of the 2 cameras. I'll set both cameras to "Neutral." Because you can't dial the color temperature in on the t4i like you can on the 7d, I will choose a pre-set for white balance. So, for example, I'll set both cameras to the daylight setting. Now, when I pull the footage to edit together, the 7d has more of a raw, flat look and the t4i will look similar but it has more of a warm tone (more reds/oranges in the tint). Bottom line, they don't match.

Looking at the insides of both cameras, it looks like they both have the same sensor, but the 7d has dual Digic processors and the t4i has a single Digic processor. Could that be the reason? The t4i produces more noise in low-light, also, which I would attribute to the processors.

If anyone can shed light on the Rebel t4i and how I might try and match it to my 7d, it would be much appreciated.

Thanks,
sk

If it's the same processor I won't speculate why the raw files would look differently but -something- has to be done to represent a raw file so clearly something IS being done. You can match them before or after shooting, or both. With some experimentation you could learn what tweaking you need to do to the 7D to mirror the 4ti in various settings. Maybe you need the K temp to be +300 and you need a bit of red and the 7D will look like the 4ti in Daylight. You'd have to calibrate each desired color temp or a few common ones.

You could also do it in post. Programs like Lightroom will let you match the color look and then you can batch process the rest. Photoshop even has a decent color matching menu item but then you'd have to create a Action. That's not hard but Lightroom would do it very fast and quickly and it's non-destructive.

I've matched in post without much problem. But I didn't shoot, I just edited. Get them to match as close as you can in-camera. I've even found, believe it or not, that the auto-match feature in FCP X worked for a lot of the shots, too.

Do the work in-camera, but you should be able to match up fine.

In practical terms, if the 4Ti only has basic settings for Daylight and its specific color temp can't be perfectly duplicated on the 7D, I can tell you what my workflow would be. I would never assume the Daylight ( or whatever dialed in color temp) setting was exactly what I wanted. I shoot RAW because I expect I will -always- evaluate for the final color temp and I always do that in post. Camera is always going to be a ballpark. The fact that my second camera was not perfectly matched wouldn't even come into my mind as a problem because it would be my expectation to pull in the images from my second camera, adjust the first image to color match the previous work (super easy to do in Lightroom) and then sync all the rest of the images to that color temp and color balance. It's a process that only takes a few minutes. This assumes you're just working with one basic color temp. Rinse and repeat as needed when shooting conditions change to other color temps.
Getting the color temps and color balance to match in the cameras would be much more important if jpg was being shot. Then you want to do as little damage as possible, but for shooting RAW... adjusting the basic color temp and finalizing any exposure adjustments are two of things I do with any RAW image. Small enhance vibrance, S Curve applied and sharpened and that's basics of almost any RAW image.
Shoot RAW, use Lightroom, get them close but know you'll be evaluating one camera and assigning it's product to a color temp and then you'll just match the images from the other camera. Matching the actual cameras using their adjustments before each shoot isn't really necessary. Since RAW is really called for and you really -should- be evaluating the color temp of both cameras anyway, you might as well do it all in post.

digibud, You shoot raw VIDEO with those camera?

no...my mind simply reverted to stills

When we used to shoot with a 550D (think that is Rebel 4ti in States) and a 7D, the easiest option if you wanted to go this route is Magic Lantern on the 550D and shoot on both in Cinestyle then post it.